India's New Combat Drone Has One Eye on China

India has tested a new combat drone that can pilot itself and land on any runway without assistance as it steps up preparations for the growing military challenge from China at its northern border.

Dubbed the Ghatak, Hindi for "lethal," the autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle was trialed last week at a test range in Chitradurga in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka. It is being developed by aeronautical scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization within India's Defense Ministry.

The Ghatak was conceived in 2015 when the Indian government announced plans to develop unmanned combat aerial vehicles. The stealthy drone has a weapons bay for missiles and smart bombs, and arrives at a time of geopolitical and geoeconomic competition between New Delhi and Beijing.

The UAV could play a future role in the ongoing standoffs along the 2,100-mile Himalayan boundary contested by India and China, known as the Line of Actual Control, where both militaries are digging in with more troop deployments and newer infrastructure.

The autonomous system based on a flying wing design marks a major advancement in self-piloting technology. The Indian Air Force, which will eventually operate a fleet of the high-speed drones, will be able to dispatch the Ghatak to any surveyed airfield and land it without infrastructure like ground radar, or a pilot.

Fying wing technology so far has been mastered by only a handful of countries. By advancing its indigenous research and development capacity and reducing dependence on external sources, India also is establishing itself as a significant player in defense technology manufacturing.

"With this flight in the tailless configuration, India has joined an elite club of countries that have mastered the controls for the flying wing technology," India's Defense Ministry said in a statement on December 15.

India's move toward self-reliance in rapidly evolving drone technology follows the capability's wide use by both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Anil Chopra, a retired Indian Air Force air marshall who is now head of the Center for Air Power Studies think tank in New Delhi, told the Hindustan Times: "The latest test is a significant milestone on the path to developing indigenous stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles."

"It will greatly enhance the operational capabilities of the armed forces. This could also be helpful in the manned-unmanned teaming of [the Indian Air Force's] platforms," Chopra said last Friday.

India conducted its maiden flight of the Ghatak in July 2022, when the drone demonstrated autonomous flight capabilities. The latest test verified its autonomous landing without assistance from ground crews.

New Delhi also has been looking to purchase 31 U.S.-made MQ-9B Predator drones, a deal that requires approval by the U.S. Congress.

China Daily, a Chinese state-owned newspaper, said in a June report that India's plans to acquire the American hunter-killer UAV—made by General Atomics—were ambitious but "facing a hurdle."

American and Indian government officials will hold a final round of talks on the sale after the U.S. responds to India's "Letter of Request," India's Economic Times reported recently.